The Connecticut River is long, wide, great for wildlife and provides beautiful views for four of New England’s six states.
A swimming hole it is not, if you ask folks in Springfield. Probably the furthest thing from it.
That will all change on June 11, when the river will be flowing with athletes competing in the “Ironman 70.3 Western Massachusetts” as the swim portion is scheduled to be 1.2 miles down the wide body of water that separates Springfield and West Springfield.
There’s a good chance most folks in Greater Springfield haven’t been on the river, even by boat, which is why MassLive had to get on the water to preview the swim portion to show fans and athletes what they’ll be dealing with.
The swim starts at North Riverfront Park in the North End and goes down river, under the train trestle and under the Memorial Bridge, before the athletes merge left to exit the water at the stairs at Riverfront Park.
“On behalf of the city of Springfield, I want to thank the Greater Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau and all those involved for coordinating this 70.3 triathlon event that will include swimming, bike ride and running,” Mayor Domenic J. Sarno told reporters on Oct. 14, 2022, according to Republican reporter Jonah Snowden. “This is a tremendous physical and mental event with athletes from all around the world competing. This will add to our city’s economic development vibrancy.”
“We could not be more excited to bring the Ironman 70.3 brand to the state of Massachusetts for the first time,” said Dave Christen, regional director for the Ironman Group. “Western Massachusetts is a beautiful part of the country that we feel our athletes will really enjoy. This event is shaping up to be a fantastic early summer event to kick off the regional racing calendar.”
Prior to the triathlon, Christen said the Ironman team will do significant water testing events with the city’s Health Department to ensure the river is safe for the swimming component of the event.
Is the River Clean?
Although MassLive was told the river has been the cleanest it’s been in years, and, half-jokingly, that the swim portion of the triathlon is upstream from Bondi’s Island, there is a bit of cringy news that came out recently for anyone participating in the Ironman: 6 million of gallons of sewage was discharged into the Connecticut River after Wednesday’s rainstorm. The overflow is made up of rainwater, untreated sewage and waste, the Springfield Water and Sewer Commission reported
The commission named Springfield, West Springfield, Agawam and Longmeadow as affected communities.
At an overflow site just north of the Memorial Bridge, where the athletes will be swimming, about 3,834,507 gallons were discharged into the river. At another outflow site along Clinton Street — right near the train trestle, also where athletes will be swimming — an estimated 2,015,802 gallons were dumped. Near Rowland Street, up-river from the starting point of the swim portion, another 160,271 gallons ended up in the river.